2 Men Killed in Early Morning Crash

Two men were killed when their vehicles collided head-on Foxon Road, or Route 80, in North Branford, Connecticut, around 5:15 a.m. on Monday.

Officers responding to the scene and a civilian worked to pull one of the drivers out of a badly mangled vehicle, but both men were severely injured.

One driver was pronounced dead at the scene and the other died at the hospital, according to police. No one else was in either vehicle, police said.

Police have identified the two men as John Fragola, 67, of Killingworth, and Mario Simmons, 51, of North Branford.

The crash was near a daycare and parents shielded their children from the tragic scene as they brought them this morning.

"It is a tragedy. My heart goes out to the families," Jacqueline McCray, of East Haven, said.

"It is a tragedy. My heart goes out to the families," Jacqueline McCray, of East Haven, said.

Residents of North Branford said there have been several crashes at the curve where this one happened. Nearby residents also had no idea how bad this crash actually was.

"I just heard ambulances and everything. I didn’t know it was this bad," Maythe Carpentino, of North Branford, said. "I was actually shocked because I didn’t hear any screeching, any tires. I just heard a big like-thump."

Officers are investigating, but said they believe one car crossed lanes and hit the other car.